CHAINS

Chapter 17

"Mum? You're here." Ani Asher habang hawak siya ni Ashton sa kaliwang kamay.

"What are you doing here?" Ashton asked, his intense and scary gaze bore unto me. Nangunot ang noo niya at biglang hinila ang kamay ko papalapit sa kanya. He held my face and inspected it. He traced my jaw and i cringed when his finger landed on my lips.

I saw him clenched his jaw and then he held my waist and hugged me.
"Fix yourself." He commanded. His voice sounds seething. He pinched my waist na nagpa igik sa akin bago niya ako binitawan.

I didn't know i was already trembling because all i could hear was the pounding in my chest.
Mabilis kong hinagilap sa purse ko ang compact ko.
I looked at the mirror and gasped as i saw myself. I look like a wet chicken. Some of my bruises were visible and my lips was really bleeding.
Nanginginig na pinunasan ko ang mukha ko ng tissue na lagi kong dala at inayos ang sarili ko. I reapplied the concealer and lipstick to hide the bruises again. Hindi ko alam kung pano ko nagagawa iyon dahil ang kamay ko ay sobra talagang nanginginig.

I don't know what's going on in Ashton's head pero ramdam na ramdam ko ang takot. I can feel his eyes murdering me already.

My head was already formulating scenarios of what Ashton's going to do to me after we get back to the hotel.

Fuck. Gusto ko talagang umiyak.

What are they doing here anyway? Does he have some business with the Cuencas? Fuck.

"I'm done." Bulong ko after i was finished. He inspected my face one more time bago ako hinila ulit papalapit sa kanya at pinulupot niya ang braso niya sa bewang ko.
Sabay kaming tatlo na naglakad papunta sa opisina ni Blaine.

"Mummy, why are you here again? Is Bailey here?" Asher asked suddenly.
Fuck talaga. Asher and his mouth is getting me in trouble.

We abruptly stopped and he glared at me.
"You've been here before?"
When i didn't answer him, he squeezed my waist again. It's harder this time kaya napangiwi ulit ako at mabilis na sinagot siya.

"It's for my work. I'm interviewing Mr. Cuenca for the magazine."

"And you came here looking like a fucking garbage?" ramdam na ramdam ko ang gigil sa boses niya kaya napapikit nalang ako bago sumagot.

"I didn't have time to --"

"Shut the fuck up!" Mahina lang ang boses niya pero bawat salita ay nakakapangilabot. "Don't fucking embarass me again or I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!" He squeezed my waist so hard kaya napaliyad ako at napakapit sa braso niya. Ininda ko iyon dahil kay Asher. He was oblivious of what's happening right now. He was looking at us like an innocent puppy.

"I'm sorry. Please...." Bulong ko at isinandal ko ang mukha ko sa dibdib niya para di makita ni Asher ang expression ko.

Napasinghap ako ng hangin ng binitawan ni Ashton ang bewang ko.

Siguradong may panibagong pasa na naman ako bukas nito.

"If you so much look or glance at any man in that fucking office...." He paused and then placed his arms around my waist again. "You'll never see the light of day again."

Tumango nalang ako dahil hindi na din naman ako makapag salita.

This was my life for the past years. And it's happening again. Threats after threats. His jealousy is not a pleasant thing to challenge or argue with. So I better do what he says.

We continued to walk towards Blaine's office.

The secretary approached us but when she saw Ashton's gloomy face, she immediately opened the door to Blaine's office.